Al-Bireh | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | البيرة |
| • Latin | al-Bira (unofficial) |
 | |
 Municipal Seal of Al-Bireh | |
  Al-Bireh Location of Al-Bireh within Palestine  Al-Bireh Al-Bireh (the West Bank) | |
| Coordinates: 31°54′19″N 35°12′54″E / 31.90528°N 35.21500°E | |
| Palestine grid | 170/145 |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Ramallah and al-Bireh |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
| • Head of Municipality | Umar Hammayil |
| Area | |
| 22,406 dunams (22.4 km2 or 8.6 sq mi) | |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
| 45,975 | |
| • Density | 2,100/km2 (5,300/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 153,237 |
| Name meaning | "The Well of the Palace"[2] |
| Website | www.al-bireh.ps |
Al-Bireh, al-Birah, or el-Bira (Arabic: البيرة; also known historically as Castrum Mahomeria, Magna Mahomeria, Mahomeria Major, Birra, or Beirothah) is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) north of Jerusalem.[3] It is the capital of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the central ridge running through the West Bank and is 860 meters (2,820 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 22.4 square kilometers (8.6 sq mi). Al-Bireh is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority (as part of Area A).
Bireh has been associated with several ancient sites. Because of its location Al-Bireh served as an economic crossroad between the north and south, along the caravan route between Jerusalem and Nablus. Under Crusader rule, it was one of the fief villages of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was captured and destroyed by Saladin, but it was rebuilt during the Ayyubid period. Throughout the Ottoman era, it was a predominantly Muslim village. Following the British Mandate, its population grew. After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, it came under Jordanian occupation until the Six-Day War in 1967, when it was occupied by Israel.
Since the Oslo Accords, Bireh has been governed by the Palestinian Authority and now serves as a significant administrative center, hosting various governmental and non-governmental organizations. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the city had a population of approximately 45,975 in the 2017 census.[1]
- ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ Palmer, 1881, p. 292
- ^ Al Bireh City Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine